1. Field of the Invention:
The present invention relates to a small boat, and more particularly to a recreational astride-type small boat having seats for a driver and at least one passenger.
2. Description of the Relevant Art:
Conventional recreational astride-type small boats or vessels are known from Japanese Laid-Open Utility Model Publications Nos. 1-122396 and 1-167993, for example. The astride-type small boat disclosed in the former publication has an engine housed in an engine compartment defined in a front half portion of the hull. The engine compartment has a rear partition which separates the engine compartment from the cabin. The rear half portion of the hull is lower in level than the front half portion, and accommodates an astride-type seat extending in the fore-and-aft direction for a driver or navigator and a passenger to sit on.
The astride-type small boat shown in the latter publication also has a seat similar to that of the astride-type small boat disclosed in the former publication.
Both of the above prior astride-type small vessels have a relatively small width or breadth that allows the driver to steer the vessel skillfully with ease so that the driver feels exhilarated when handling the vessel.
The passenger is usually required to be seated astride of the seat while keeping his or her body closely against the back of the driver. If the passenger is a guest or an elderly person, the passenger may feel uncomfortable about the position on the seat. Another problem is that when the passenger's body is pressed against the driver's body, the passenger may not feel relaxed on the boat.
The above problems may be solved by a known bench-type seat that would extend transversely of the vessel and would permit the driver and the passenger to be seated side by side. However, the bench-type seat would result in an increase in the width or breadth of the vessel, and make the vessel less transportable on land. If a vessel with a bench-type seat remained narrow for better handling, the driver and the passenger would still be required to sit closely side by side.
On the small boat disclosed in the former publication, the seat has a front end contiguous to the partition of the engine compartment. The front end of the seat prevents the driver from holding out the legs and also from being seated in a desired position. Since the rear end of the engine compartment is defined by the partition that is positioned in front of the driver's seat region, the leg space for the driver is reduced by the partition. The boat has a fuel tank positioned in front of the engine at the bow of the boat, so that the fuel tank will not interfere with the seat. However, the storage capacity of the fuel tank is limited because the bottom of the vessel has an upward gradient toward the bow.
The small vessel shown in the latter publication includes a trunk compartment positioned near the engine compartment. The trunk compartment has a limited storage capacity because of the equipment in the engine compartment.
The present invention has been made in an effort to solve the aforesaid problems of the conventional recreational astride-type small boats.